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UPPER MERION — King of Prussia shoppers will be out painting the town red on Sunday.

The color known for stimulating adrenaline that is also the signature hue of discount dynasty Target will no doubt be doing its job when throngs of excited first-time customers start to barrel through the doors at 8 a.m. to “expect more, pay less” at the East Coast’s largest Target.

The arrival of Target at 160 W. DeKalb Pike, King of Prussia, will round out the holy trinity of freestanding mega-mercantile legends that have debuted in this town in the last couple of years, including Wegmans and Wawa.

With a cult following that is arguably as fervid as either of those icons, Pennsylvania’s 65th Target may not necessarily entice legions of early-bird devotees to form an anticipatory overnight line, a la Wegmans in May of 2012, but they will surely arrive throughout the day, spilling into 800 parking spots, split between a huge lot out front and an underground garage.

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It took about a year and a half of construction to see America’s second biggest retailer — located clear across town, it’s only figuratively in Walmart’s shadow in this instance — known for pristine environments, high quality merchandise at wallet-friendly prices and friendly sales associates to tower over DeKalb Pike as the crowning touch of a reinvented Valley Forge Shopping Center.

But tower it does, observed human resources manager Jacalyn Moretto, from a vantage point in the Target Café.

“Most Target stores don’t have all these windows, but the fact that we are elevated above the parking level is very different for Target,” she said of the unique design. “For people driving down the highway they wanted to be sure it stood out. When it’s all lit up at night it looks really cool.”

As they gaze out on the DeKalb Pike traffic, shoppers can munch on a $4.29 Pizza Hut personal pizza or any of the customary Target Café offerings, including hot dogs, popcorn, soft pretzels, sandwiches and salads.

With a familiar-looking kiosk right inside the café and a Starbucks on the edge of the parking lot, it’s an embarrassment of riches for fans of the upscale coffee chain.

Downstairs, you’ll find the full range of goods by high fashion “Tar-zhae” — to borrow a popular French-inspired twist on the Target name — designers like Todd Oldham, Missoni and Jason Wu in the women’s department, and more groceries and produce in the expanded market area than you’ve ever seen at any local Target store.

Here, even the bananas get the boutique treatment: they’re sold individually for 29 cents, not by the pound.

Targeting the trademarked bull’s-eye at media-savvy expectant and new moms who often consult all manner of digital sources for product reviews before purchasing, the Baby 360 department features a convenient layout and interactive iPad registry station.

“It’s an all-around experience,” said executive team leader Allie Doyle. “You can look at products right on the iPad and find safety and recall information before you purchase, and even print out page registries on the spot.”

Customers are free to test out products as well, she pointed out.

“See the products, feel them, get an idea if they’re what you’re looking for. The mannequins are dressed in the outfits so you can see what the clothes will look like on your child.”

In addition to a Target Optical and Target Pharmacy, the expansive store is plugging in its redesigned Electronics and Entertainment department, which debuted earlier this year in California, Ohio and Florida.

Prominently displayed are items such as smart phones, tablets, and laptops, enabling customers to explore before buying. A cluster of TVs on a showcase wall broadcast music and movies available at Target, along with interactive content.

“With the service and the new layout, customers can locate and interact with the merchandise so much better,” Moretto said.

For whatever reason, some shoppers will peruse the merchandise and then order it online later.

“Any product carried in the store can be ordered online and picked up at the store,” Moretto allowed. “They can come out to the store to see if we have something, order it online and then come to guest services. We’ll have it waiting for them and they can be on their way.”

“Showrooming” is a much-used buzz word in the retail industry these days, and its relevance is evident in every nook and cranny of the store.

“There’s no question that showrooming, where shoppers browse products in a store and then purchase online, is a threat to retailers like Target that have a significant investment in real estate and physical stores,” noted Casey Carl, president of Target’s multichannel division in a press release. “However, less publicized is the fact that showrooming is also the greatest opportunity for retailers. As my colleagues and I have said several times: ‘We love showrooming — when Target gets to book the sale.’ We recognize that showrooming is part of a revolution that’s making retail more competitive than ever.”

With 250 employees, Target is primed for business from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The Minneapolis-based Target Corporation now operates 1,795 Target stores in the U.S.

As the first Target was opening in Minnesota in 1962, a then-fledgling Valley Forge Shopping Center was still about a year away from the debut of one of its earliest big-time anchor tenants, the now long-gone King Theater.

In the checkered evolution of the center that has seen many beloved shops vanish over the years — including long-running Buckley Pharmacy, which surrendered its spot to the rise of the mega discount emporium three years ago — Target looms as the ultimate showpiece.